Overview of the Collection
Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center.
Maloney, Francis Thomas.
Francis T. Maloney Papers.
undated, 1931-1959.
5 linear feet.
Francis T. Maloney was a United States Senator from 1934 until his death in 1945. Previous to that, he was a Congressman and, before that, Mayor of his hometown, Meriden, Connecticut. During World War I he was a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve Force.
MSS19790010
English.
Biography
Francis Thomas Maloney, son of Patrick and Grace (Hickey) Maloney, was born in Meriden, Connecticut, on 31 March 1894. After attending public and parochial schools in Meriden, he became a reporter for
The Meriden Morning Record (1914-1921). During World War I, Maloney was a member of the United States Naval Reserve Force as a seaman first class.
In 1918, Maloney married Martha Herzig of Wallingford. They had a son, Robert, and three daughters, Marilyn, Grace, and Ann. Maloney sold real estate and fire insurance from 1921 until 1929 when he was elected mayor of Meriden. He served for two terms.
He was elected as a Democratic member to the 73rd Congress in 1933, and in 1934 was elected to the United States Senate. While in the Senate he chaired the Special Committee Investigating Gasoline and Fuel Shortages. He also was chairman of the Special Committee to Study International Petroleum Production and Distribution. Maloney was reelected to the Senate in 1940. While in the Senate, Maloney supported the social reforms of the New Deal. He opposed President Roosevelt's plan to reorganize the Supreme Court in 1937.
Maloney held membership in many organizations, including the American Legion, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Fraternal Order of the Eagles, Knights of Columbus, Loyal Order of Moose, Meriden Turner Society, Sons of Union Veterans, and Young Men's Temperance and Benevolence Society.
While working on a proposal to modernize Congressional procedure in December 1944, Maloney became ill from exhaustion. He died in Meriden, Connecticut, on 16 January 1945.
Scope and Content
These papers were the only ones to survive basement flooding before the collection was donated to Special Collections in 1969. In Series I, correspondence between Senator Maloney, Albert N. Jorgensen, the War Department, and the Federal Works Agency which deal with a proposal to construct an armory at the University of Connecticut were photocopied from the Albert N. Jorgensen correspondence in the records of the President's Office in the University of Connecticut Archives. In Series II, subject index excerpts have been removed from the original notebooks and placed in manuscript folders. In Series V, loose newspaper clippings were removed and placed in manuscript folders, chronologically.
Arrangement
Series I: Correspondence (1931-1944) contains incoming and outgoing letters written between 1931 and 1944. Several of the letters are between Francis T. Maloney and the Library of Congress. They request information Maloney needed for speech writing. There are photocopies of correspondence between Senator Maloney, Albert N. Jorgensen, the War Department, and the Federal Works Agency which deal with a proposal to construct an armory at the University of Connecticut. The letters were written between August 1940 and November 1940. These letters were copied from the Albert N. Jorgensen correspondence in the records of the President's Office.
Series II: Writings (undated, 1931-1944) is organized into two sections. The first part consists of speeches, radio broadcasts, and articles written by Maloney. The second part consists of excerpts from the
Congressional Record relating to Maloney. They were mounted in looseleaf notebooks and organized by Congressional term, by session and then by form—remarks and speeches, bills, resolutions, and petitions. At the beginning of the papers for each session, there is a subject index. These excerpts have been removed from the notebooks and places in folders.
Series III: Biographical Material (undated, 1945-1947) contains information about Maloney, such as published articles, photographs, and campaign posters. There are several photographs, including two of Senator Maloney and Jimmy Durante visiting war plants in Connecticut. There is a bound volume of the Congressional memorial service for Maloney, which was held on 23 May 1945. Several oversized campaign posters are located in box 2.
Series IV: Speech Reference File (undated, 1943) is an alphabetized series of material Maloney used as research for speeches.
Series V: Scrapbooks (1929-1959) is organized into two sections. The first section contains nine volumes dating between 1929 and 1945. Three of the volumes (1937 December - 1939 January, 1939 January - 1939 July, and 1939 November - 1944 June) contain clippings relating only to Meriden events and personalities. The second section contains loose newspaper clippings, some of which were removed from scrapbooks because they had become unglued and others, which were found loose among the papers. A tenth scrapbook, dating from December 1944 to May 1945 was filled with loose clippings, which were removed and placed in folders, chronologically.
Related Material
Archives & Special Collections has a substantial collection of materials pertaining to Connecticut's Congressional delegation. For detailed information on these collections please contact the curator or ask at the reference desk.
Index Terms
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Persons:
Maloney, Francis T.
Jorgensen, Albert N. (Albert Nels), 1899- --Correspondence.
Subjects:
University of Connecticut—Presidents.
University of Connecticut—Buildings.
United States. Congress. House—Members' papers—Connecticut.
United States. Congress. Senate—Members' papers—Connecticut.
Catholic Church—United States—History—Revolution, 1775-1783.
Congressional record (Washington, D.C.: Periodical)
College presidents—Connecticut.
New Deal, 1933-1939.
Armories—Connecticut.
Catholics—United States.
Waterways—Connecticut.
Ethnic groups—Connecticut.
Universities and colleges—Connecticut.
Connecticut—Education—Universities and colleges.
Storrs (Conn.)—Education—Universities and colleges.
Connecticut—Military affairs—Armories.
Storrs (Conn.)—Buildings, structures, etc.
Connecticut—Politics and government—1865-1950.
United States—Politics and government—20th century.
United States—Politics and governments—1933-1945.
United States—History—Revolution, 1775-1783—Religious aspects.
Connecticut—Transportation—Waterways.
Connecticut—Population elements—Ethnic groups.
Meriden (Conn.)—Politics and government.
Meriden (Conn.)—History.
Connecticut—History—War of 1812.
United states—History—War of 1812—Campaigns.
Stonington (Conn.)—History—Bombardment, 1814.
Document Types:
Correspondence.
Notebooks.
Photographs.
Fliers. [printed matter]
Scrap-Books.
Speeches.
Obituaries.
Resolutions.
Petitions.
Posters.
Occupations:
United States Senator.
Restrictions on Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Restrictions on Use
Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.
Preferred Citation
[Item description, #:#], Francis T. Maloney Papers. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries.
Acquisition Information
The Francis T. Maloney Papers were donated to the University of Connecticut Library circa 1969 by Senator Maloney's son, Robert Maloney. These papers were the only ones to survive basement flooding. Until August, 1979, the papers were maintained by the Special Collections Department, which then transferred them to Historical Manuscripts and Archives. In 1995, Special Collections and Historical Manuscripts and Archives merged to become Archives & Special Collections, now located in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center.
Detailed Description
Series I: Correspondence, 1931-1944
1:
1
1931-1940
1:
2
1943-1944
Series II: Writings, undated, 1931-1944
Speeches and Articles
1:
3
1931-1933
1:
4
1934 January - September
1:
5
1934 October
1:
6
undated, 1934 November - December
1:
7
1935-1940
1:
8
1942-1943
1:
9
1944 January - June
1:
10
“July 4 Oration”,
1944 July
1:
11
1944 August - December
1:
12
undated
Excerpts from The Congressional Record
73rd Congress
1:
13
1st Session, Index, pp 1-6
1:
14
2nd Session, Index, pp 7-17
74th Congress
1:
15
1st Session, Index, pp 18-24
1:
16
2nd Session, Index, pp 25-37
75th Congress
1:
17
1st Session, Index, pp 38-67
1:
18
2nd Session, Index pp 68-72
1:
19
3rd Session, Index, pp 73-104
76th Congress
1:
20
1st Session, Index, pp 105-133
1:
21
1st Session, pp 134-155
1:
22
1st Session, pp 156-174
1:
23
2nd Session, Index, pp 175-184
1:
24
3rd Session, Index, pp 185-209
1:
25
3rd Session, pp 210-232
1:
26
3rd Session, pp 233-254
78th Congress
1:
27
1st Session, Index, pp 405-422
1:
28
1st Session, pp 423-451
1:
29
1st Session, pp 452-478
1:
30
1st Session, pp 479-495
1:
31
1st Session, pp 496-521
1:
32
2nd Session, Index, pp 522-548
1:
33
2nd Session, pp 549-572
1:
34
2nd Session, pp 573-591
1:
35
2nd Session, pp 592-612
79th Congress
1:
36
1st Session, Index, pp 613-617
Series III: Biographical Material, undated, 1945-1947
1:
37
Articles about Maloney
undated
1:
38
Photographs
undated
1:
39
Memorial Services...in Eulogy of Francis Thomas Maloney, [1945 May 23], (Washington, 1947)
2
Campaign posters
Series IV: Speech Reference File, undated, 1943
1:
40
Battle of Stonington
1:
41
Catholics in the American Revolution
1:
42
Commencement Address
1:
43
Independence Day Oration 1943
1:
44
Ireland and Irish Americans
1:
45
Italian-Americans
1:
46
Massachusetts
1:
47
Ukranian Quarterly
1:
48
Water way improvements
Series V: Scrapbooks, 1929-1959
v.1
1929 November - 1931 December
v.2
1931 December - 1934 January
v.3
1937 December - 1939 January
v.4
Meriden,
1939 January - 1939 July
v.5
Meriden,
1939 November - 1944 June
v.6
1934 January - 1940 March
v.7
1940 April - 1941 September
v.8
1941 September - 1943 July
v.9
1943 July - 1945 August
2:
1
Scrapbooks, Newspaper Clippings,
1931-1946
2:
2-9
Scrapbooks (clippings)
1943 Jul-1945 Aug
Scrapbook, 1944 December - 1945 May
2:
11
Illness
1944 December - 1945 January
2:
12
Obituaries
1945 January 16
2:
13
Obituaries
1945 January 17
2:
14
Obituaries
1945 January 17
2:
15
Obituaries
1945 January 18
2:
16
Obituaries
1945 January 18
2:
17
Maloney's Successor
1945 January 17 - 22
2:
18
Maloney's Successor
1945 January 22-30
2:
19
1945 January
2:
20
1945 February - May
Newspaper Clippings
2:
21
Mayoral Election
1930
2:
22
Senatorial Election
1934
2:
23
Family Events
1943, 1952
2:
24
Maloney High School Dedication
1956 August - 1959 April